Shadows on the Wall
by angelic-goddess101
Summary: Sailor Moon crossover. Mina's been having some pretty strange dreams lately, and all of them involve her death. When things get a little rough on the homefront, Mina is sent to her cousin Rowen's house. She has no idea what lays in store for her there...
1. Shadows

_Mina Aino watched in horror as a knife plunged into her chest, piercing her heart. The pain was unbearable as she stumbled and fell to her knees, her startled gaze meeting the icy violet eyes of a green-armored warrior as he stood, frozen in horror. Gasping for breath as blood trailed down her chin, Mina watched as the warrior knelt at her side, the expression in his cold gaze one of helplessness and defeat. _

_The eerie silence that settled over the scene matched the mood just right as Mina felt her life force fleeing her body at a rapid rate. It was obvious that she wasn't going to live, and she didn't want to try. She had given up already, the will to live gone. Looking up into the warrior's eyes was like looking into a mirror; she could see just how pale and close to death she was. _

_As the warrior held his hand out over Mina's body, a green light was emanated from his hands and she knew what he was trying to do. She grabbed his hand, forcing it away from her body. _

"_No," she rasped, coughing slightly. "I beg of you, let me die."_

_As the last of her life force was leaving her body, Mina summoned up enough energy for one last statement. "Please...__・__She panted, her eyes wide and unseeing. "Tell Mama that I.." Her words were cut off shortly as her energy failed her, the last of her life force fading into the night sky…_

Mina woke with a start, a cold sweat dripping down her face. Her heart was beating wildly and she felt limp, too weak to really do anything. The sensation of fear wasn't a pleasant one, and for a moment, she wondered if her dream would become reality. The very thought caused a shudder to run down her spine, leaving a cold, hollow sensation in her heart.

Moving slowly, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, weary and bone-tired. She hadn't actually been able to sleep in over two weeks, which was when the nightmares had started. Her every waking moment was spent haunted by the memory of the nightmare and the warrior that was in it.

As she got out of bed, Mina wobbled, nearly stubbing her toe on the sharp corner of her dresser. Cursing softly as she moved away from it, she made her way out of her room and into the hall, sweeping her loose blond hair from her sweaty face. The temperature in the house seemed hot and stuffy, making the blond Scout even more uncomfortable than she already felt.

As the sounds of rustling in the kitchen reached her ears, Mina paused in front of the bathroom door in the hallway. The feeling of fear returning, she backtracked to her room and retrieved a baseball bat that she'd had for years, but never used. In her heart, she felt that she wasn't safe and she wasn't going to take any chances now.

The rustling sounds continued as she silently moved down the stairs, clutching the bat like a lifeline as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up in silent warning. Halfway down the stairs, all hell broke loose.

Mina screamed as a black shadow came rushing up the stairs without warning, its red eyes gleaming maliciously in the darkness. The creature was like none she'd ever seen or encountered; it looked almost completely transparent, but she was sure it was solid enough to cause bodily harm if necessary. In this instance, it seemed as though it was intent on causing her bodily harm. It moved slowly in her direction, slowly filling her with a sense of dread. The shadowy creature was surrounded by an aura of evil, an evil so intense that she could feel it seeping into her very core.

Frozen in fear, Mina couldn't move as the creature continued towards her, floating lightly above the ground. For a moment, the world ceased to exist as she locked eyes with the shadowy creature, feeling its intentions even as she struggled against the hold the creature held over her body. The sound of arguing from her parents' room broke that spell, releasing Mina from the shadow's grasp. With an unworldly cry that sent chills up and down Mina's spine, the creature lunged at her suddenly, its talons outstretched towards her neck. She moved out of its reach, the force of its movement slamming her into the wall. The physical touch of the creature left her shaking and gasping for breath, hanging onto the wall for dear life. As her parents came rushing out of their room, it was all Mina could do to keep herself from trembling too badly as she collapsed against the wall in relief…


	2. Chance Encounter

Shadows on the Wall

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Ronin Warriors.

As midnight fell, it found Sage Date sitting on his bed, still wide awake. His room was filled with candlelight from the vanilla-scented candles that he kept in his room, the flickering of the flame causing eerie shadows to cross his room.

He couldn't sleep, partly due to the fact that his reoccurring nightmares wouldn't let him sleep. They started two days ago, and since then, the blond Ronin's health had only gone downhill. He couldn't eat anymore, he'd lost a few pounds, and his skin tone was a lot paler than normal. Sage felt listless, unable to concentrate and unable to get the girl's face out of his mind. It constantly plagued him, and it had his family concerned. He felt foolish, like a young boy suffering from the nightmares of childhood, but he kept that to himself, merely lighting his candles at night. But their magic no longer worked to soothe his soul. He could still hear every sound from his dream, see the scenes flashing before his eyes like a bad movie.

In his mind, Sage could still see the girl's pained expression as the knife plunged into her flesh, could still hear the sickening sound of metal in flesh. He knew it had pierced her heart, for the blow had been meant to be fatal. There was no way he could forget the intense pain he saw in her eyes as he'd tried to heal her in the dream, only to have her turn him away. She hadn't wanted to be healed, as though she'd had enough pain and wanted no more. If Sage didn't know any better, he would have said that she'd been trying to die.

Shaking the images from his mind, Sage sat up in his bed, abandoning any thoughts of sleep. He crossed his legs and cleared his mind of thoughts, allowing the calm of meditation to come over him. Moments later, his senses tingled as the sound of something breaking somewhere on the floor below reached his ears. The hairs standing on the back of his neck told him that whatever was down there was sinister, but his feet began moving as if they had a mind of their own. Sage swung his legs over the side of the bed, taking a moment to adjust to the sudden movement before trying to stand.

As he made his way out of his room, Sage's hand instinctively went to the green orb that hung on a golden chain around his neck. The power that instantly zinged through his hand at the simple touch calmed his ruffled nerves, allowing him to continue. As he made his way down the stairs, clinging to the railing with white knuckles, the sound of breaking glass from the kitchen caused him to grit his teeth in irritation. The moment he reached the bottom of the stairs, Sage was struck by the intense aura of negativity emanated from whatever was in the kitchen. Whatever it was, he quickly decided, it did not belong in _his_ home.

Sage had just about reached the kitchen when he was attacked from behind, the creature shoving him up roughly against the wall. At the very touch of the creature, the Ronin found himself unable to move. He cried out softly as whatever it was tried to ease its way into his mind, pain washing through him as his mental barriers were being knocked against. His mental defenses, however, had been honed over the years and were pretty strong against intruders. Finally, after a brief struggle, the thing let go, both mentally and physically. Once he was freed, Sage whirled around to catch a glimpse of a shadowy figure turning the corner and he let himself sink to the floor, visibly and mentally shaken by the encounter…


	3. The unfortunate situation

Shadows on the Wall  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Sailor Scouts or the Ronin Warriors! Oh wait, yes I do! pulls out Sailor Scout dolls and the Ronin action figures See? I really do!  
  
Mina sighed as she leaned back in her chair, mentally and physically exhausted from the fight in the park that afternoon. She'd been distracted and it had been pretty obvious, the consequences disastrous. Her right arm had been broken sometime during the fight, and Mina couldn't recall when, and now hung uselessly in a sling. Her body was battered and bruised, covered in slight scratches and she had one major gash on her side, with nothing more serious luckily.  
  
At the hospital, Mina had blamed it on her hair color, saying that she'd had a moment and fell down the stairs, but the medical personnel at Tokyo General Hospital, minus Dr. Munzino, were getting suspicious and the blond Scout overheard whispers of an investigation into her family. She'd been in and out of the hospital a few times during the last few months due to demon attacks, and things weren't looking too good for her family. Her parents were in the middle of a divorce, and it had been tough on Mina and her mother, Aya, and Mina could only desperately hope that the medical personnel weren't serious about calling the authorities. '_That's not what I need right now. It's bad enough that my parents are divorcing and I haven't gotten a wink of sleep due to reoccurring nightmares, but now I'll have the Division of Family Services poking their noses into my business. No, this is not good at all_...' Mina sighed once more, closing her eyes once more as she laid her head against the back of her chair. '_I guess I should warn Mom_...'  
  
Just as she opened her mouth to say something to her mother, the phone rang and her mother, Aya, picked up. "Aino residence, Aya speaking. How may I help you?" Aya's voice was business-like, seeing as she was a professional businesswoman, but Mina didn't like the shocked silence that suddenly filled the nearly-empty house or the way her mother's face paled as she nearly dropped the phone. "What?" Catching Mina's curious gaze, Aya quickly turned away, lowering her voice, although Mina could still hear quite well what she was saying. "Why? We have never done anything to.." There was a pause and Mina could see her mother was shaking with fury and sorrow. "Yes, of course." She'd picked up her business tone once more as she spoke. "My husband has a sister..." Her voice trailed off as she was interrupted once more and she sighed tiredly, still avoiding Mina's gaze. "I'll send her right away... No, I'm sure her aunt won't mind if she comes for a visit.." Mina was pretty sure that if her mother wasn't still in shock, she would've been shouting curses into the phone as she defended herself and her honor. The blond-haired didn't want to go visit her aunt and cousin that she barely knew. They lived in Toyoma, a four-hour drive, and with her broken arm, Mina knew she was in no condition to drive. Shaking these thoughts from her head, Mina turned her attention back to her mother, who was beginning to look angry. "Well, of course we argue! Mina is a perfectly healthy teenage .."  
  
Unable to listen anymore, Mina dragged her exhausted person up the stairs to her room to pack, knowing she was in for a long summer and it had only started. If Mina had only had an inkling of what was to come, the defenseless Scout would've begged the DFS to let her stay at one of the other Scouts' houses to avoid it but, unfortunately, she wasn't physic. Mina tried to drown out what she heard from the kitchen as she half- heartedly threw random clothing items into her bag, not really caring if they matched or not. As much as she really didn't want to leave Tokyo, Mina knew it was probably for the best, so she was just going to have to deal with it.  
  
"It won't be that bad if you go and make the best of it," Artemis suggested as he leapt onto her bed, surveying her packing. He had been downstairs when the phone rang and, like Mina, had pieced everything together, although neither of them wanted to know what was happening. "Ignorance is bliss," Mina announced, tossing her swimming suit into her bag. "I would've preferred it if I hadn't been so distracted this afternoon, 'cause this whole situation could've been avoided," she mumbled. Artemis nodded knowingly as he listened. "Yes, that's true, but Fate has plans for everyone, Mina. This happened for a reason, and I'm sure something good will come of this." For a moment, Mina didn't recognize the white cat sitting on her bed. 'Did someone replace my irritating, perfume-spilling, sweater-ripping monster of a guardian with this serious creature that speaks logic? Wow, he must be feeling sick!' She stared at the cat in bewilderment, pressing her hand to the moon symbol on his forehead. "Are you feeling ok, Artemis?" Seeing his glare, Mina continued. "You've got to be kidding me... Something good come from this? What are you thinking?" Her voice rose in volume. "I'm being forced from my home, my parents are being investigated for child abuse and, oh yea, I'm suffering from insomnia due to a reoccurring nightmare!" she wailed, flopping down on her bed. Artemis didn't say anything to that, merely staring at her with those big blue eyes of his. "Oh, quit looking at me like that! I'm already going insane, and now I'm over here yelling at my car, who isn't supposed to talk!" Frustrated, the blond turned over on her stomach, burying her face into her pillow. "Artemis, will this nightmare ever end?" A long moment passed before the cat spoke, his face unusually serious. "In time, yes. All nightmares have to end sometime, right? They can't last forever," he replied, curling up beside her head. "You just need to keep telling yourself that it has to end and it will eventually."  
  
Mina groaned. "Eventually won't come soon enough," she complained, lifting her head weakly. "At least you're going to your aunt's house," Artemis reminded her. "You could be going to a foster home, and we both know they wouldn't allow me to go with you." There was a collective sigh from the both of them at the very thought. Mina had spent years with Artemis by her side and, although he irritated her to no end most of the time, the white cat was her closest confidant, the one who knew everything about her. "You're right, Artemis. I guess I would rather stay with Rowen than stay with strangers that I have never even seen before, much less met." Mina sat up and faced her window. "I wonder if Rowen has gotten any taller since the last time I saw him," she mused with a smile. Artemis sweat dropped at the sudden change of conversation, twitching uncontrollably on her pillow. Of course, Mina knew he had gotten taller, since that was inevitable, but she just wanted to get a reaction out of Artemis. "You know, from what I've heard of this 'Rowen' fellow, it sounds like you two could have fun," Artemis remarked, sitting up and licking his paws non-chalantly.  
  
Mina turned to look at the little white cat in astonishment. "But I don't even talk about him!" Artemis laughed. "No, but your mother was on the phone with your aunt when I came upstairs and they were talking about him," he replied. "He sounds like a good guy." Mina'sgaze moved to her useless arm, sighing tiredly. "I feel like an invalid," she remarked darkly. "The thing that worries me is the fact that my aunt is rarely ever home, so it would be just the you, me, and him," Mina finished lamely. Artemis started to purr as Mina scratched behind his ears. "Sounds lonely," he remarked vaguely, closing his eyes as his purring grew louder. Mina merely shrugged. "I guess so," she replied absently. "His parents divorced years ago, and I met him at a family reunion ten years ago, so I don't really know anything else about him."  
  
A mischievous twinkle appeared in Artemis' eyes. "For all you know, he could have some cute friends or something," he teased as Mina glared at him. "Artemis, I've got enough problems to deal with as it is, and I don't need anymore heartbreak or pain than I already have," she muttered darkly as she got up to finish packing. "I really don't have time to deal with guys other than Rowen at the moment." Seeing the look of pain and betrayal in her eyes, Artemis backed off, deciding that it was best to leave it be rather than incur her wrath and was about to change the subject when Aya shuffled into the room. A long moment passed before she spoke, however, and her green eyes were staring unseeing on the bag that Mina had packed and the backpack that had only been filled halfway. "There's a bus leaving for Toyoma at five," she mumbled, still not meeting Mina's gaze. "The DFS want you on it." The tension in the room could've been cut with Mina's fingernails, and Mina desperately wanted to plead with her mother to let her stay, but she knew Aya had no say-so in what was happening and the DFS was certainly not going to allow her to stay. "What about you?" The words she spoke were thick in Mina's throat, not coming out as easily as she would've liked.  
  
Aya pulled her daughter into her arms, tears welling in her eyes. "I'll be fine, Mina. It's you I'm worried about." Mina returned the embrace, smiling shakily. "Don't worry about me, Mom. I'll survive." As the blond-haired stepped back, she could see the pride in her mother's shimmering green eyes. "I love you, Mina, and don't you every forget that," she whispered fiercely as her lower lip trembled. "No matter what happens, you are my daughter and nothing can change that." Aya pulled her daughter into an embrace one last time before stepping back, holding Mina at arm's length. "Now, you go finish packing and get ready for your trip." She eyed Artemis uncertainly. "And keep him out of sight, ok?" With one last sorrowful smile at her daughter, Aya disappeared from the room, wiping the tears from her eyes as she went. Mina sorrowfully returned to her packing, unsure about how long she would be staying in Toyoma.... 


	4. Bus stops and shadow demon

Shadows on the Wall  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Sailor Scouts or the Ronin Warrior. They belong to their respective owners, whoever that happens to be XD  
  
As Mina stepped off the bus, she suppressed a shudder. Toyoma, despite being a fairly large city, was dimly lit and she didn't like it one bit. The streets were completely devoid of life and there were far too many shadows lurking for her to be comfortable, but she ignored that fact as she pulled her backpack from her shoulders and unzipped it the rest of the way. "Ok, Artemis, you can come out now." Mina had been careful to leave it partially unzipped so that her guardian could breathe during the four-hour trip, but she could only hope that he hadn't needed to go to the bathroom. The very thought made her frown. As he stuck his head out of the pack, Artemis fixed Mina with a withering glare. "I do not want to do that again," he announced, sounding slightly sick.  
  
Mina snorted. "It wasn't my idea to put you in there, smarty pants," she retorted. "As I do believe, it was yours." Artemis struggled to pull himself all the way out of the pack before making his way to Mina's right shoulder, hanging there limply. "Oh hush," he muttered weakly. "You know that pet carriers make me sicker than riding in your backpack does." Mina rolled her eyes. "So don't complain then." A few minutes of silence passed as the pair waited for Rowen to come pick them up, but he didn't show. "Oh great," Mina muttered darkly, breaking the silence. "This is just what I need, standing out in the darkness in a strange city, waiting for my cousin to come pick me up." Her body language spoke volumes about her depressed mood as she leaned tiredly against the nearest wall, allowing herself to slide down to a sitting position. Artemis tried to cheer her up. "I'm sure he has a good reason for not showing up," he reasoned. "He doesn't seem to be the type that.." Mina interrupted him sharply. "You don't know my cousin, Artemis," she replied sourly. "I don't even know my cousin." Yet another few minutes passed in silence, and it became apparent to Artemis that something was bothering the blond-haired Scout. "Mina, relax," he implored as he glanced at Mina's pale face. She said nothing, merely shaking her head.  
  
Recalling her experience earlier that week with the shadowy figure in the kitchen, Artemis sighed. He knew there was nothing he could do to reassure the girl, nothing he could say. After all, he was a mere cat, armed only with claws and no powers to speak of, unless talking counted. In the little white cat's opinion, it definitely didn't count. '_What am I supposed to do_, _talk a shadow to death_?' he thought dryly with a derisive snort as he hung limply on Mina's shoulder. He couldn't help but recall how shaken the experience with the shadow had left her and how, even days later, Mina still refused to speak of it. The pair sighed in unison, each lost in their own depressing thoughts in silence for several minutes before they were jolted back into reality by the sound of a nearby garbage can falling over echoing through the empty streets. They both glanced up, their eyes widening in apprehension and fear as a shadowy figure stepped into view. Mina was on her feet in a matter of moments, her face as pale as Death itself and her thin frame shaking uncontrollably as she stood frozen as the creature drew closer. Its only visible features were the red eyes that shimmered in the darkness, growing larger as the creature stepped closer. At the last possible moment, Mina was pulled from her trance as Artemis fearfully dug his claws into her shoulder, drawing blood, and she stumbled back just as a familiar dagger pierced the air where her heart had been. The creature hissed in agitation as its trance was broken, and Mina, blinded by her fear, hadn't seen the creature pull the dagger. Had the shadow demon pulled the dagger or had it been someone else?  
  
By the time Mina realized the unearthly creature was upon her, it was too late. The demon's clawed hands tightened around the frightened girl's throat, effectively cutting off her oxygen supply, and she closed her eyed in pain as she struggled for breath, unable to look into the fearsome demon's fiery depths. There was a yowl from Artemis as he launched himself onto the shadow demon's face, hissing and scratching violently as he tried to give Mina a chance to escape. As the demon released her throat, Mina's eyes flew open, watching in utter horror as the demon pried the white cat from its face as it hissed, tossing the brave cat's body like a rag doll. Artemis yelped and Mina visibly winced as his small body collided painfully with a nearby wall, effectively silencing him. Her fear fading into anger, Mina reacted while the demon was still distracted, smashing her heavy bag into its face, dropping it instantly as she ran, not waiting to find out what an angry shadow demon was like. She could hear the demon's heavy breathing right behind her, her own breathing matching the demon's as she ran blindly through the unfamiliar streets of Toyoma, blood slowly dripping down her bruised throat from the puncture marks left by the demon's claws. Mina's lungs rattled painfully as she continued to run, her throat as dry as a desert, but she didn't have much of a choice. It was either run herself to death or die at the clawed hands of the demon behind her, and she'd much rather have her heart give out on her than wait for her death to come.  
  
When at last her strength failed her and her heart felt ready to burst, Mina collapsed on the cement, closing her eyes as she waited for the final blow to come. She knew the demon was still there, for she could still hear its heavy breathing, but her death hadn't come, so she cautiously opened one eye to see the demon still standing there, its eyes on her. Its gaze unnerved her, but she didn't move, merely locking gazes with the demon. She had no weapons now, with Artemis still back at the bus stop along with her bags, leaving her feeling more helpless than shed ever felt before in her entire life. She was completely at the mercy of the demon, and she hated that feeling. "Mina!" The sound of the girl's name being called caused the two enemies to turn their heads, but when Mina turned back, the demon had vanished into the dark night. As her cousin approached, the blond-haired girl was too numb with shock to even acknowledge Rowen's presence or even get to her feet, so she just sat there unmoving as the blue-haired teenager drew closer, holding Artemis in his arms. "Mina, are you ok?" His eyes widened as Mina turned her head slightly as he knelt by her side, the blood from her wounds now visible to him. "Mina, what happened?" Seeing that she was in shock, Rowen didn't wait for her answer before pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and quickly tying around her throat to hinder the bleeding from her wounds. Mina was incredibly grateful that he asked no questions as he bound her wounds although she could see the unasked questions written all over his face. When Rowen was finished, Artemis drug his battered body into Mina's lap, purring happily as he rubbed his face on Mina's side, expressing his joy at finding her alive and in one piece loudly.  
  
The blue-haired Ronin had nearly had a heart attack when he'd stumbled upon the injured cat and Mina's abandoned belongings with no sign of his cousin whatsoever. Glancing over at her once more, Rowen could see that his cousin was shaking like a leaf from her ordeal and felt guilty about not being able to pick her up on time, but he wasn't going to bring up the subject, seeing the apprehension in her eyes. His car, almost brand new, had chosen the perfect time for the starter to act up, and he hadn't been able to start it right away, even with a jump from his neighbors. "Well, let's go, shall we?" Rowen got to his feet, dusting himself off as he studied Mina once more. She didn't look like she could walk to his car, but he couldn't leave her alone either, not after what she'd been through already. "I'm sure its been a long day for you, and you need your rest." Mina's head moved ever so slightly as she nodded, still not trusting her voice. She was still in shock and hardly noticed when Rowen picked up her trembling body, a distant look in her eyes. Mina leaned her head on Rowen's shoulder and, in a matter of moments, was fast asleep. At first, Rowen was worried because she didn't seem to be breathing, but he was relieved to see that she was indeed breathing as he laid her limp form in the backseat of his car, Artemis curling up in her lap. A thoughtful expression crossed Rowen's face momentarily as he started his car, expecting to have problems, but his expression melted into one of surprise as his car started up right away. He shook his head in exasperation as he put the car into gear and headed home.  
  
Thanks for reviewing, Aphrodite2! I promise, the plot will thicken! . 


	5. The orb

Shadows on the Wall  
  
Chapter Five  
  
_We twist and turn where angels burn _

_Like fallen soldiers we will learn _

_That once forgotten twice removed _

_Love will be the death.. _

_The death of you  
  
The words to a song hung heavy in the air in Mina's dream as she sat there in the darkness, hugging her knees to her chest. She'd never felt so alone and abandoned as she did at that very moment, shivering in fear at the darkness that surrounded her. As tears threatened to fall, Mina wished that she wouldn't have to wake up and face reality, especially since her reality was becoming a true nightmare. She couldn't wake up from that reality and the memories wouldn't fade, nor would the loneliness that threatened to tear her apart. "I can't take it anymore!" She cried, her tears shimmering in the darkness as though they had a life of their own as she lifted her head. "Someone, please help me!" A few minutes later, a green light pierced the darkness, carried by a young man that had blonde hair about two shades darker than her own that fell over one of his icy violet eyes, giving him an air of mystery as he knelt by Mina's side. Neither of them said anything as they met each other's gaze, and Mina couldn't help but get the feeling that she had seen him somewhere before and not just in a dream either. She was thoroughly surprised when his strong arms enveloped her, pulling her into his embrace. They stayed that way for a few minutes, tears of relief streaming down Mina's cheeks as she let him hold her, his arms providing a source of comfort. When he finally pulled away, Mina was even more surprised when he reached out and grabbed her right hand, placing his green orb of light into her palm before closing her fist, his icy violet eyes never leaving her blue eyes as he did so. "But I.." The young man silenced her with a single look, the maturity and wisdom glittering beneath the surface of his violet depths simply astounding Mina. "You need it more than I do," was his simple reply. Mina opened her right hand, tearing her gaze away from the stranger's as she glanced down to see the green orb twinkling innocently in the palm of her hand, but when she looked up again, the words she intended on speaking died on her lips when she noticed that the stranger had vanished into the darkness. "Wait!" Her cry echoed through her dream, but there was no reply and Mina found herself alone once more as she studied the green orb in her hand..._  
  
Sage woke with a start, his forehead glistening with sweat under the moonlight. He sat up and, sensing something was missing, searched his neck for the golden chain that usually hung there, a cry escaping his lips when he realized that his most prized possession, the green orb that hung from the golden chain, was missing. First his strange dream, in which he dreamed that he'd given his orb to a blond-haired girl with startling blue eyes that seemed familiar somehow, and now his orb was missing. The Ronin was beginning to wonder if that was just a coincidence. Had he somehow managed to actually give the girl his orb through his dream? Was that even possible?  
  
Blinking tiredly, Sage laid back down on his bed, placing his hands behind his head on his pillows. He was tired, but when he closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep, his mind replayed the strange dream over and over again. He couldn't help but wonder what had caused him to even touch her in such a way. It just wasn't like him, but the sight of her tears sparked something within him that he just couldn't fight, almost as if it were magical. What Sage really wanted to know was who the girl was and why she looked so familiar to him, and not just from his nightmare. His memories of the nightmare had faded considerably since that night, but he still recognized the girl and wondered why he felt such an impulsive need to protect her. If only he could remember...  
  
With a sigh, Sage sat up again, slipping his feet into the slippers he kept by his bed and slipped out into the night, finding himself in his grandfather's dojo before long. Once again, Sage's hands sought out the comforting warmth of the green orb that had once hung around his neck to reassure himself, but was instantly reminded that the orb was gone. Whether or not it had been stolen Sage didn't know, but he intended on finding out. Things seemed to be taking a turn, but he couldn't tell if it was for the better or for the worst. Once again, his mind turned to the orb and his eyebrows knit in confusion. Sage wouldn't dare let someone else touch it, not even to borrow, and nothing had been disturbed in his room, so he just didn't understand how it could have just... disappeared. After walking aimlessly around the dojo for a while, Sage eventually returned to his room and his icy violet eyes scanned the room once more, searching for something that was out of place that would indicate that someone had been in there. Again, he found nothing and lay back down in his bed after kicking off his slippers and tried to return to his troubled sleep...  
  
Mina woke with a start, a cold sweat dotting her forehead. The moonlight was slowly disappearing from the room she found herself in, which she presumed to be Rowen's, and she was slowly becoming aware of her ordeal the night before. When she sat up, it was then that Mina noticed the solid object in her right hand, the hand that the orb had been placed in during her dream, and she gasped when she opened her fist and, to her complete horror and surprise, there sat the green orb. It lay there innocently in the palm of her hand, attached to a long, golden chain. How was it possible that she had gotten the orb? Was someone playing a freaky joke on her or was this for real? Was it possible they could have been on a physic plane instead of in a dream? The physic plane seemed more plausible than a practical joke, for it explained how the orb ended up in her right hand, the hand that the orb had been placed in. In Mina's mind, there was no way anyone could've gotten the exact orb as the one in her dream and placed it in the same hand. There was just no way.  
  
Shaking these thoughts from her head, Mina propped the pillows up against the wall and leaned against them, still feeling too weak to stand. Her frightening experience was momentarily forgotten as she studied the orb in the palm of her hand. When Mina reached over and touched it with her other hand, a feeling of peace and contentment washed over her for the first time in days. Closing her eyes as its peaceful energy flowed through her veins, Mina opened them moments later as she dangled the orb from its chain, watching as two shades of green swirled inside the strange orb. She didn't know it at the time, but her puncture wounds from the demon's claws had mysteriously almost completely disappeared. She had no idea what it was or what it was used for, but she knew that the person that had the orb controlled the energy it contained, and could therefore be used for good or evil. Mina closed her eyes as a shudder passed through her body as she realized what damage an evil person could inflict with the power contained within the orb and she desperately hoped that it never fell into the hands of a villain. As she lay there with her eyes closed, Mina made a promise with herself that she would do everything within her power to protect the orb.  
  
When Mina opened her eyes once more, the moon had disappeared and the sky was just starting to lighten, dawn fast approaching as she realized she'd fallen back to sleep. The thought of the sun returning once more, lighting up the places where shadows had once resided, gave Mina hope that things would be different in Toyoma, despite the recent events. Slipping the golden chain over her head, the orb hidden beneath her shirt, Mina smiled genuinely and got up out of bed, feeling like a completely different girl. Gone was the pale, trembling creature Rowen had met the night before, replaced by a beautiful girl with a sparkling personality that bubbled over with spirit and a will to live. There was a determination that hadn't been there before, and even Aya wouldn't recognize the girl standing in Rowen Hashiba's room, where she would be staying for the next little while. Much to Mina's amusement, Rowen's room was actually kind of clean. The only things littering the floor were his books, but that didn't surprise her at all since Rowen had been a reader for as a long as she could remember.  
  
Stretching lazily, Mina glanced around the room once more, finally spotting her bags sitting by Rowen's closet and proceeded to dig through them for a decent outfit. It had to be one that was easy to put on since Mina didn't want to have to wake Rowen for help because of her broken arm. She finally chose a white peasant top shirt and a pair of denim capris that had blue flowers running up the pant legs and matching flowers on the pockets. She had a bit of a struggle putting the shirt on, and it took a few minutes due to the fact that the cast on her arm kept getting caught on the sleeve, but she finally managed to slip it on and had no problems with her capris. After she finished dressing, Mina pulled out her brush and makeup out of her bag and silently slipped past Rowen, who was fast asleep on the couch in the living room, and into the bathroom to finish her daily routine. When she emerged ten minutes later, Mina had swept her long, silky blond hair into a wide denim headband that matched her pants and a pair of silver hoop earrings dangled from her ears. The clear lip gloss she had put on added the last touch to her look and she felt ready to face the day, but she noted with some disappointment that it was only seven-thirty in the morning. 'I should not even be awake yet,' Mina thought dryly as she headed back into Rowen's room. Rowen would probably sleep forever and Artemis was still recovering from the previous night's ordeal, so she was alone for the time being. The silence was actually kind of relaxing, so she took advantage of it and pulled out her diary and began to write.  
  
_Dear Diary, _

_It feels so strange to be in a new place. I can still remember when I first came to Tokyo and met Serena. Everyone called me a stuck-up brat 'cause I was painfully shy and they all teased me about how I dressed like Sailor V. How were they supposed to know that I was really Sailor V? The day I met Serena changed my life for good. Things have never been the same since then, and Serena is partially to blame for that, but things have only gotten stranger now that I'm being stalked by shadow demon...  
  
My memories of last night's events are fuzzier than ever now, and I can hardly remember anything. The puncture wounds that I received while I was fighting the mysterious shadow had almost completely disappeared, but that doesn't even compare to the strange dream I had last night! Again, my memories are a bit fuzzy, but I remember a handsome young man around my age placing a green orb into the palm of my right hand sometime during the dream. The thing is that when I woke up, I found myself clutching a green orb in the palm of my right hand... Is that freaky or what? Was it just a coincidence or did the 'dream' I had take place on a physic plane? These days, anything is possible. What really ticks me off is that the boy seems vaguely familiar, as though I've seen him somewhere before, but my mind seems to have a fog hovering over it, preventing me from recalling the most crucial memories... I am officially freaked out by all of this, but I must somehow maintain a calm disposition, and I've discovered that it is a whole lot harder than it seems. Have I done something wrong to deserve this? I can only hope that Mom is coping with the situation, and that Dad will return home soon from his business trip to America. I wish I could've left Artemis with Mom, but I need him too much. This is a crucial time for me, as much as I hate to admit it, and I need my guardian with me to help get me though this. If there was ever a time I need some good advice, it would be right about now.  
  
Well, I think I'll talk about something else now. Rowen seems to be really concerned about me when he discovered me last night, but I can't blame him. I mean, my throat was bruised and I'm sure he saw the claw marks, and there there's my puncture wound. I know he has questions for me, but how am I supposed to answer them when I don't even have the answers? I can't avoid his questions forever, although I do wish I could, and lying is out of the question... How is it that I get myself into these situations? Better yet, what am I supposed to say? Well, I'm hoping that my stay here in Toyoma will help get my mind off my troubles and that I'll get a chance to relax and do some fun things with Ro, but I have a feeling that I will be reminded of my troubles, one way or another. I wonder if they have a beach around here... Oh, would you just listen to me? Here I am, using all of these words that I have never used in my vocabulary before... Am I having an identity crisis? I desperately hope not...  
  
Well, I'll stop writing for now and I'll write whenever I find the time. I'm going to have to find a safe place to hide this diary so that Rowen won't find it and be tempted to read it. That would be just disastrous.. Well, so long for now!  
  
Mina  
_  
When she was finished writing, Mina stuck her pen back into its secret compartment and closed her diary, locking it before placing it back into her bags. She heard a stirring of life from the living room and glanced up at the clock, noting with dismay that she had been immersed in her thoughts for over two hours. '_What's wrong with me? It doesn't normally take me two hours for me to write one little journal entry, even if it was that long..._' With a sigh, Mina closed her eyes and laid there for a few minutes before drifting off into a light sleep...  
  
Well, there you have it! The fifth chapter is finally out, and boy, it was a long one compared to the others! I must warn you though, chapter six and seven are longer! And thanks, Aphrodite2! I haven't really met a whole lot of people that even know that the Ronins exist, but I like them all the same. And thank you for reviewing and I'm glad you like my story! XD


	6. Identity revealed

Shadows on the Wall  
  
Chapter Six  
  
Disclaimer: I drew the Sailor Scouts and the Ronin Warriors! They are all mine! laughs evilly Actually, I can't even draw worth crap, so I'll just let their respective owners take all the glory.  
  
Mina tapped her fingernails against the dashboard as she patiently waited for Rowen to hurry out of the supermarket he'd disappeared into. They'd planned a special picnic that afternoon and they had just been on their way when Rowen remembered that he'd forgotten to get something from the store, promising that he'd only be a few minutes as he slammed his car door shut. Of course, that had been ten minutes ago and Mina fully intended on giving him a piece of her mind when he returned.  
  
A few days had passed since Mina's arrival and, luckily, Rowen still hadn't brought up the subject of the incident that happened the night she'd arrived in Toyoma and it was starting to look as though he was going to leave it be. Rowen had looked surprised, then suspicious when he'd discovered that her wounds had mysteriously healed up, leaving only the faintest of scars, but he let it slide. They'd spent their first two days getting to know each other, learning each other's likes and dislikes, and now they spent their days acting like little children, fighting over the TV remote or battling it out on Rowen's PS2 console. Surprisingly, more often than not, Mina was the winner, despite being one-handed, but everytime Rowen suggested that they go out and do something, Mina quickly refused, and for a good reason. She still wasn't sure if he purposely let her beat him or not, but Mina could still remember the look of pure shock on his face when she'd beaten him for the first time on the PS2.. One-handed. She'd taken a picture of it so that she would never forget it once she returned home, and she was starting to think that perhaps Artemis had been right when he said that something good might come of her otherwise bad situation. She was having a blast with a cousin that she never would've gotten to know otherwise, but Mina felt guilty about having so much fun while her mother was probably sitting at home, worried sick about her. She quickly decided that it was about time to give her mother a call and let her know that everything was fine, that she had no reason to worry about her... at least not about the investigation anyway.  
  
In the backseat of Rowen's car, Artemis had dozed off and his snoring brought Mina back into reality just in time to see Rowen balancing a small chocolate cake in his arms along with his other purchases. Leaning over, Mina opened the door for him and eyed his purchases wearily. "It took you that long to get that many groceries?" she teased, beaming at him as he placed the bags in the back, forgetting about Artemis until a growl could be heard. "Oh, sorry Artemis." The cat glared at him as he removed the bags from on top of him, and the blue-haired Ronin wondered why Mina had insisted on bringing him along and why on earth he was apologizing to a cat. Rowen couldn't put his finger on it, but that cat just seemed a lot like White Blaze.. very understanding of the human language. He swore up and down that Artemis understood everything he told him and complied, albeit somewhat grumpily. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Rowen hopped into the drivers seat, buckling up before starting the car and pulling out into the parking lot. From where she sat, Mina could see that her cousin suspected something about Artemis, but, miraculously, Artemis had managed to keep his mouth shut the entire time, not saying one word, although Mina half-expected lightning to come from nowhere and strike the same place four times in a row. The blond-haired girl was pretty sure that it was only the human look in Artemis' icy blue eyes that had Rowen suspecting anything, and she intended on keeping it that way if it were possible. By the time they reached the park where they were going to have their picnic, it was noon and things were really starting to heat up. Luckily, Rowen had warned Mina to bring her bathing suit, so she'd slipped it on underneath her white T-shirt and blue jean shorts and was glad she did. She was relieved to see a pool sitting right next to the park, but she instantly noticed that there was no place to change.  
  
While Rowen set up the blanket they were going to be sitting on, Mina retrieved the picnic basket from the car and Artemis sauntered nonchalantly behind her, his tail waving lazily from side to side. Putting on her sunglasses to protect her sensitive eyes from the sun, Mina glanced over at Rowen as she sat down just to see that he had done the same and rolled her eyes. She opened up the basket and dug through it, finally handing Rowen his lunch, which consisted of a turkey sandwich, a drink, and a package of Twinkies. "Hey, that's your sandwich," he protested, making a face. Mina glared at him humorously. "Nuh-uh! I marked yours," she retorted, pointing to the star-shaped symbol on his sandwich wrapper. "I didn't want to eat the sandwich you made, so I put a heart on mine and a star on yours." Mina missed the odd expression that crossed his face momentarily because she was grabbing her lunch from the basket, and by the time she looked back up at him, the expression was gone. "So, are we going swimming after lunch?" Rowen opened his mouth to reply but Mina, seeing that he was about to launch into one of his infamous lectures, quickly spoke up. "I know, I know. We have to wait half an hour before we go swimming or we'll get stomach cramps and drown," she drawled in a monotone voice.  
  
Rowen couldn't help but laugh before taking a bite of his sandwich. "We couldn't have you drowning, otherwise I'd have to kill you." Mina choked on the juice she'd been drinking as he said that, glaring at him as she coughed uncontrollably. "Well, that makes a whole lot of sense, Ro," she muttered after she regained control once more, rolling her eyes. "If I'm dead, then you can't kill me, you know. Besides, all you have to do is say something like that while I'm drinking and you won't have to kill me."  
  
Just as the two burst out laughing at that remark, an unfamiliar voice interrupted. "Hey Ro!" Mina glanced up to see two teenage boys around her age standing there, one with reddish brown hair and the most beautiful sea- green eyes she had ever seen and the other with dark blue hair and the most unusual bluish-grey eyes. Rowen popped the last of his sandwich into his mouth as he leapt to his feet, dusting himself off. "Hey guys!" The muscular boy with dark blue hair studied Mina for a moment before turning back to Rowen with a mischievous grin. "Hey, Ro, why didn't you tell me you got a girlfriend, you old dog?" It took Mina a moment to realize that he was talking about her, and she turned red at the thought as she gagged. Rowen burst out laughing. "Well, umm.. actually, she's my cousin, Kento. Mina, this is Kento Faun and Cye Mouri. Guys, this is my cousin Mina from Tokyo." Mina waved slightly, still bright red from Kento's comment about her being Rowen's girlfriend and the other two returned the gesture uncertainly. She realized they did have good reason to think that she was his girlfriend; after all, they didn't have a whole lot of similarities. He had to be pushing 6' while Mina was barely reaching the 5'5 mark, not to mention the fact that she had blond hair while he had a thick head of blue hair. "Nice to meet you guys," she muttered somewhat shyly.  
  
"Hey, Ro, do you know how hard I tried to get a hold of you for the last two days?" A raven-haired youth with beautiful sapphire-blue eyes jogged up, lightly punching Rowen's shoulder. Rowen chuckled nervously, guiltily recalling all the times the phone rang but he ignored it since he was usually in the middle of a game with Mina or trying to wrestle the remote from her hands. "Yea, I do actually. I've just been so busy that I didn't have time to get the phone," he replied sheepishly. The newcomer was greeted by Kento and Cye as well, and it was apparent to Mina that they were all friends. "Mina, this is my friend Ryo Sanada. Ryo, this is my cousin Mina from Tokyo." Mina shook his hand, beaming brightly. "Hi! It's nice to meet you!" Her legs felt like a bowl full of jelly around all these people that she didn't know, but Ryo didn't appear to notice. He grinned as he bowed slightly. "Hi!" Mina glanced at her watch before poking Rowen's shoulder. "Well, Ro, it's almost been half an hour. Can we go swimming now?" She begged, wanting to escape the heat. Rowen nodded before turning back to his friends. "Are you guys coming?" Kento laughed. "Are you nuts? We didn't come all this way to not go swimming," he replied as they all nodded. They all split in several different directions to gather their things and while Rowen returned the blanket and the basket to the car, Mina tried to decide what to do with Artemis. Being a cat, he didn't get along too well with water, as she had certainly found out, but she was pretty sure that he didn't want to fry in the car either. Mina finally decided to just let him do whatever he wanted, go wherever he wanted to go as she grabbed her towel when Rowen walked up. "All right then, let's go!"  
  
When they reached the pool, Mina was instantly reminded that there was no place to shower or change and she tried her hardest not to stare as Rowen and his group of friends stripped off their shirts, revealing muscular chests. With a sigh, she peeled off her shirt and tossed it on top of her towel, blushing self-consciously as catcalls and whistles rang out from the pool. Mina honestly didn't think that she could turn a deeper shade of red than it already was as she tried her hardest to ignore them. She was immensely relieved when Kento, the muscle of the group, leapt into the pool and threatened to smash the face of any guy that dared catcall or whistle again and they both missed the sneaky look Rowen and Ryo shared just before they leapt into the pool. She quickly peeled off her shorts, revealing a dark purple bathing suit with a matching skirt and was about to leap into the deep water where Rowen was when she remembered about her broken arm. Without the use of her right arm, there was no way that Mina would be able to keep herself afloat in the deep end, so she walked over to the shallow end instead.  
  
She sighed as soon as she stepped into the water, her relief written all over her face. Mina swam forward until she could barely reach the bottom anymore, then turned around and swam back to where it came up to her shoulders when she sat down in the water. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the water, not noticing Rowen & Co. swimming up. Her shriek was cut off as her head disappeared underneath the water for a split second, her eyes flaming when she caught sight of Rowen laughing his head off as she resurfaced. "Rowen Hashiba, do you know what I am going to do to you?" she yelled, holding up her cast threateningly. Kento laughed. "I wouldn't hit him over the head with that if I were you," he warned. When he saw her questioning look, the stocky boy chuckled. "You might break your cast on that hard head of his!" Rowen somehow managed to look completely innocent. "I didn't do anything wrong!" He pointed at Cye. "He did it!" Mina lunged for his neck, completely misjudging the distance and the angle he was at and missing him completely, landing on Ryo instead, which had been standing right next to Rowen. "Whoops! Sorry!" She laughed, swimming in the direction Rowen had swam. Everyone laughed as they watched Mina try to dunk Rowen, but he was definitely stronger than he looked and she just wasn't strong enough to dunk him with only one arm. Finally, she enlisted Kento's help and, together, they managed to dunk him.  
  
"Not fair! You had help!" Mina stuck her tongue out at him. "So? I'd like to see you try to dunk someone with only one good arm," she replied gleefully, not noticing Ryo sneaking up on her until it was too late. She was underwater before she knew it, but by the time she'd surfaced again, Kento had already dunked Ryo for her and was laughing at the raven-haired boy's expression as he swam away. Rowen winked mischievously as Ryo. "You know, I kinda get the impression that Kento is getting a little friendly with Mina, don't you so, Ryo?" As Ryo laughed and nodded, Mina and Kento both pounced on Rowen, shoving him underwater. "Shut up, Ro!" they chorused, a vein popping on Mina's forehead as she blushed furiously. This started a whole other round of teasing, Rowen and Ryo running for dear life as Cye sat back and watched, laughing so hard that tears streamed down his cheeks.  
  
"What is going on here?" Everyone froze and glanced up at the unexpected arrival of the last member of Rowen's group of friends and Mina felt her jaw drop to the bottom of the pool. There, standing not two feet from her, was the young man from her dream and she swore she saw a flash of recognition in those icy violet eyes of his, but she wasn't sure. All traces of humor had disappeared from Mina's face and she was pale as a ghost as she backed away, accidentally bumping into Kento. "Sorry," she muttered apologetically, moving out of his way as she continued to back away. She didn't realize that she was backing straight into the deep end until it was too late. "Mina!" Rowen's warning shout came a second too late as the blond-haired girl disappeared under the water at the part where the water deepened without warning and both Kento and Rowen rushed to her aid. Meanwhile, Mina was struggling to reach the surface and she was only two inches away from taking a breath of life-saving air, but it seemed so far away at the same time. No matter how hard she struggled, she just didn't have the energy to make it and was just starting to sink further when Kento and Rowen each grabbed and arm, hauling her up to the surface. Mina sputtered uncontrollably as she gasped for breath, grateful that she'd decided to braid her hair instead of leaving it down. When she finally had the courage to look her cousin in the eye, she instantly wished she hadn't. Rowen was shaking in anger, but somehow managed to look angry, relieved, and concerned all at the same time, and she was afraid that he would start asking those questions that she had no answers for. She quickly muttered an apology, wishing that they'd just let her sink. Ryo, Kento, and Cye all looked worried as well, and it wasn't just because she'd nearly drowned herself. It was because she'd nearly drowned herself trying to get away from their friend, and they had seen the mixed expression of horror and surprise on her face moments before she disappeared under the water.  
  
Rowen had seen that expression once before, the night that he was supposed to pick her up and he'd had troubles starting his car, which was funny because he hadn't had a any trouble with it since. He still felt incredibly guilty about what happened that night, even though she'd assured him many times that it wasn't his fault. Rowen was pretty sure that Mina had never met Sage before, and it made him wonder why she would react to his presence like that. "Mina, are you sure you're ok?" There was that note of concern in his voice that had been there the night she'd arrived, and he looked tired as Mina nodded, still avoiding the newcomer's gaze. "Sage, this is my cousin Mina. Mina, this is my friend Sage Date." Well, at least Mina had his name now. There was tension in the air as Mina attempted to greet her cousin's friend. "Hi!" She waved slightly, but Sage said nothing, making no attempt to acknowledge her presence. The tense silence that followed set everyone on the edge, and it was then that Rowen spoke up. "Well, we should probably be going now," he said, grabbing Mina's arm. "It was nice seeing you, Sage." Sage merely nodded as Rowen and Mina got out of the pool and gathered their things, the tension still there even as they left. Neither of them said anything as they got into Rowen's car, Artemis silently leaping into Mina's lap and curling up into a ball before falling asleep...  
  
Well, there you have it! Chapter six is out! I had a completely different ending, and I wrote it down on paper, but then my paper got spilled on and I couldn't make anything out, so I had to write something completely different in.  
  
Aphrodite2: That particular little conversation will happen eventually, I promise! XD Rowen in definitely involved in this plot, as is Kento, but you will just have to trust me. The next chapter is _very_ long, and but it is also very important to my plot.  
  
Jewels14: Thanks for reading my story! XD I know a lot of people don't know who the Ronins are, but I thought this would be an interesting story to do, so I hope you enjoy it! 


	7. Dream world

Shadows on the Wall

Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: If I owned the Sailor Scouts or the Ronin Warriors, I wouldn't worry about disclaimers, would I? I don't think so…

_The tension in the still night air, even though it was just a dream, was all too real to Mina as she stumbled through her dream world. It was dark, and there was not a sound to be heard, a situation that Mina did not like, not one bit. Coming to a stop and taking a deep breath, the Sailor Scout whirled around, spotting a single light off in the distance. _

"_Hello? Is anyone there?"_

_Not to trusting of what she would find there, Mina ventured forward, her blue eyes riveted on the light that she could see. Moments later, a soft-spoken voice spoke in her head._

"_**Welcome, Minako. I'm glad you have come.**"_

_Mina whirled in fright, looking very much like a deer caught in a headlight. "Mother? Mother, is that you?" She hadn't run very far towards the sound of her mother's voice when she stopped , catching glimpse of the green-armored warrior that stood beside her mother, looking just about as confused as she herself felt. She strode forward a bit more cautiously, glancing first at her mother, then at the warrior she knew as Sage, then back at her mother. "Just what is going on here?" she demanded, her hands on her hips. She wasn't surprised in the least to be reprimanded by her mother. _

"_**Now Minako, that was not very lady-like,**" the older woman chided, gesturing to Sage, who remained standing where he was. "**Do you not remember this young man?**"_

_Mina stared at the warrior for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I don't, and what does Sage have to do with anything?" She just wanted to get to the bottom of this situation, and know just what it was that caused her mother's spirit to bring her and Sage to this dream world. The least she could have done was make it just a bit more hospitable for Mina. _

"_That shall be answered in time," a new voice piped. Mina whirled to see Trista standing there, her usual staff in hand. Moving with the grace of a princess, which Mina couldn't help but admire, Trista stopped in between Mina and Sage, her dark eyes looking between the two. "Your past is a tragic one, but a story that must be told to prevent it from happening in the future. I cannot say much else, but this I can- if you do not remember about your past together, darkness will consume the Earth, and we will rest in eternal darkness." _

_Mina scoffed. That line sounded awfully familiar. "How many of these 'cover the earth in darkness and rule the people like zombies' plots will we have to foil anyways, Trista?" Unwittingly, she made herself sound like the blonde she really wasn't. She just didn't want anyone to know how smart she really could be. _

_Trista glanced over at the younger Scout, amusement playing on her features. "More than you could ever count," she replied truthfully, and Mina didn't doubt it for a second. She knew better than to go against anything that Trista said; after all, she **was** the guardian of Time. _

_Still, Sage said nothing, merely standing there with a confused expression on his face as the spirit of Mina's former mother stood there, trying her best to get him to talk, but it was of no use. His icy violet eyes were riveted on the stunning blonde that stood watching the newcomer, obviously at ease with the two people that had stolen him from his dreams and brought him to this dream world. Moving quickly, he strode over to his best friend's cousin's side, pinching her for good measure. When she yelped, glaring at him as she backed away, rubbing the sore spot on her arm, Sage knew for sure that they were not in a dream. They were in a physical realm where they could still be injured. _

_Finally, the blond-haired warrior spoke. "And what is the importance of our past?" he inquired quietly, glancing from the blond-haired woman beside him to the woman with the staff. "Why is it so important that we remember?" As if his question triggered a reaction, a wind kicked up as the two woman gathered in the midst of it, both of them glancing at Mina, who was quite startled. _

"_That, my friend, is for you two to find out, but you have to work together," the blond-haired Queen remarked as the dream world seemed to collapse onto itself. Mina began screaming shortly before everything went black…_

Mina woke with a gasp, clutching at the green orb that dangled around her neck as she bolted up, her blue eyes startled and frightened. Looking down at her arm, she knew that she hadn't dreamed that; a small bruise was starting to form on her right arm, the arm that Sage had pinched. Would this nightmare never end? Getting up from her bed, she pulled up a chair beside the window and opened the curtains, the warm light of the moon filtering in and soothing her frightened and confused nerves.

Mina had only been there for a few moments when she made up her mind about Sage; first thing in the morning, she fully intended on dragging Rowen up out of bed and over to his house, and that's where she intended on confronting him. She wasn't entirely sure, but she suspected that there was more to him than meets the eye and she wanted to get to know him a little better as well as try to remember their past. There, in the soothing light of the moon, Mina drifted back off to sleep, looking more peaceful than she had for many nights…


	8. Past

Shadows on the Wall

Chapter Eight

(**A/N: NEED MORE REVIEWS! The more reviews I get, the more chapters you'll get! And I'm sorry for taking so long to put another chapter up. I've moved three times since I started this story, and I'm only now settling down, hopefully for good. That and my bout with writer's block is over too! And if anyone is interested in becoming my beta reader, that would be great! Anyways, on with the story!)**

The next morning found Sage sitting at the breakfast table, absently stirring his food. He had lost his appetite, but his mind was sifting through all the facts that had presented themselves, trying his hardest to find the tie that bound them all together. So far, the only tie he could find was the girl, Mina. The night his nightmares had started was the night where the shadow creature had appeared, and he could sense the power of darkness growing stronger, but no enemy had presented themselves- yet. The Ronin was sure that they would soon, and he had the distinct feeling that he and the girl were tied into this somehow… He would just have to find out what.

"Sage!"

Hearing his name being called, Sage glanced up, his solemn expression causing his mother to pause. "We've been trying to talk to you for the last five minutes," she told him with a frown. "Are you feeling all right?"

Sage nodded, taking a bite of his now-cold oatmeal, grimacing a bit. Oatmeal was definitely not good cold. "I'm fine," he replied quietly, but his whole family noticed that the strange teenager was even more quiet and withdrawn than usual. Instead of trying to draw him out of his shell, they left him alone, no longer trying to involve him in their conversation. He made it plainly obvious that he didn't want to be bothered.

Getting up, Sage gathered his breakfast dishes and walked them over to the sink, dumping the food into the garbage and rinsing them out. Once he was finished, Sage sensed a familiar presence drawing closer and automatically tensed as the doorbell rang.

"Sage, would you get the door, please?" Dr. Date called to her son as she rushed around, trying to get ready for work. Sage's icy gaze turned to his younger sister, Yukina, who instantly knew the honor of getting the door had fallen to her and, with one glare at Sage, went into the living room to get the door. From where he was, Sage could hear everything.

"Hi, is Sage here?" It was Mina, which was no surprise to Sage. He had figured that it was either her coming to see him or him to go see her, but the latter hadn't been likely in the first place. She seemed to be the one that wanted answers badly, and so she came to him.

Sage could practically feel his sister's smirk as she sought out her brother, sighing softly before his sister strode into the room. "There's someone here to see you, Sage," she announced cheerfully, her eyes both inquisitive and amused.

Mina waited patiently in the living room for Sage to arrive. She'd told Rowen to stay out in the car and wait for her, but she still wasn't sure how long her task was going to take. When the familiar blond-haired Ronin arrived, she could knew that he knew what she was there for and had been prepared. "Let's step outside, shall we?" Of course, that made his sister even more curious, but she knew as soon as he turned his icy glare onto her that if she tried to follow them, she would live to regret it. Disappointed, she stalked back upstairs and into her room, muttering something about brothers under her breath.

Silently, Mina followed Sage outside, struggling not to hide how nervous she was. Sure, she'd met him before, but that was mostly in dreams. They hadn't really said a word to each other, and she didn't know what to say. Once they were seated on the bench in a grove of sakura trees, they spent a few minutes in a tense silence while Mina struggled for words. Finally, a few minutes later, she spoke.

"What do you know of the Silver Millenium?"

Somewhere deep in Sage's memory, something clicked. He had heard of the Silver Millenium before, but there was a fog surrounding the memory that wouldn't allow him to see it.

"I've heard of it," Sage remarked, his voice devoid of emotion. He seemed like a walking, breathing stone to Mina, who took a deep breath and continued with her questions.

"What do you know of the Gate of Time?"

Again, Sage felt that he knew the answer to that too, but he couldn't quite grasp the memory, which slipped away as if it were water seeping through his fingers. Pursing his lips thoughtfully, his mask breaking, Sage's expression was one of thoughtfulness. Mina held out hope that he would at least recognize the names of the people, places, and things that she was talking about, but she couldn't really tell. Sage's face tended to be like a mask, and just as easily as his mask broke, it slipped right back into place.

"Sounds familiar…"

Sage's answers were non-committal, not telling Mina anything. Frustrated, she clenched her fists, glaring down at her pale hands. "Have you ever heard of Queen Beryl?"

All at once, a rage boiled in Sage and he stood abruptly, his eyes icy and his expression just as cold. "I don't know who the hell this 'Queen Beryl' is!" He glared at Mina who, instead of being surprised, was actually smirking. Very few people that encountered Queen Beryl, whether they remembered or not, were devoid of a deep hatred and rage towards the evil queen that had destroyed everything for everyone. That told her a lot about Sage, whether he knew it or not.

Calming down some, he sat back down, keeping his icy glare on the innocent-looking girl that sat beside him, looking a lot like the cat that ate the canary. "I just have one last question." She paused for a moment while Sage watched her, searching for the green orb, finally pulling it out. "Does this belong to you?"

The look of surprise that passed over his face momentarily was priceless, and Mina smiled. "I'll take that as a yes," she mused with a smile. Sage was quiet for a moment, studying Mina. She was definitely not what he had been expecting. "Where did you get that?" He held her sapphire-blue gaze, watching as her smile widened a bit. "Don't you remember, Sage? You gave this to me, in whatever dream realm we happened to have been in," she replied easily, wondering how she was to put Sage at ease. He was sitting stiffly, absolutely refusing to relax, and she didn't like that any.

"I gave it to you…"

Mina nodded. "Yes, that's right. You gave it to me. I was scared, lonely, and I didn't know what I was doing, and you gave it to me just before you disappeared." She paused for a moment, face red and gazing down at her feet. "And I really appreciate it. You have no idea how much comfort this orb has given me since I came here. I'd never felt so alone in my life, except for when I was in England."

Sage remained silent, staring at the orb with an uncertain expression and his gaze returned to the girl that still surprised him. She felt familiar to him somehow, and he hated the fact that he couldn't place where he knew her from. Mina, on the other hand, was having similar thoughts. "I could've sworn that I recovered all of my memories," she whispered, her sapphire-blue gaze staring off into the distance. Feeling Sage's gaze on her, she flushed, realizing she had spoken that aloud, but whatever she was going to say was broken off by a loud honk from Rowen's car. Getting to her feet, Mina glanced in his direction. "I have to go." Meeting his gaze, she smiled once more. "Meet me at the park at noon today. We have a lot to talk about."

Sage watched as she trotted off awkwardly, her broken arm held close to her body by the sling and her long blond hair swaying in the slight breeze as she headed for her cousin's car, blissfully unaware that Sage was watching her, his violet eyes troubled…


	9. Midnight Visitor

Shadows on the Wall

Chapter Eight

(**A/N: NEED MORE REVIEWS! The more reviews I get, the more chapters you'll get! And I'm sorry for taking so long to put another chapter up. I've moved three times since I started this story, and I'm only now settling down, hopefully for good. That and my bout with writer's block is over too! And if anyone is interested in becoming my beta reader, that would be great! Anyways, on with the story!)**

The next morning found Sage sitting at the breakfast table, absently stirring his food. He had lost his appetite, but his mind was sifting through all the facts that had presented themselves, trying his hardest to find the tie that bound them all together. So far, the only tie he could find was the girl, Mina. The night his nightmares had started was the night where the shadow creature had appeared, and he could sense the power of darkness growing stronger, but no enemy had presented themselves- yet. The Ronin was sure that they would soon, and he had the distinct feeling that he and the girl were tied into this somehow… He would just have to find out what.

"Sage!"

Hearing his name being called, Sage glanced up, his solemn expression causing his mother to pause. "We've been trying to talk to you for the last five minutes," she told him with a frown. "Are you feeling all right?"

Sage nodded, taking a bite of his now-cold oatmeal, grimacing a bit. Oatmeal was definitely not good cold. "I'm fine," he replied quietly, but his whole family noticed that the strange teenager was even more quiet and withdrawn than usual. Instead of trying to draw him out of his shell, they left him alone, no longer trying to involve him in their conversation. He made it plainly obvious that he didn't want to be bothered.

Getting up, Sage gathered his breakfast dishes and walked them over to the sink, dumping the food into the garbage and rinsing them out. Once he was finished, Sage sensed a familiar presence drawing closer and automatically tensed as the doorbell rang.

"Sage, would you get the door, please?" Dr. Date called to her son as she rushed around, trying to get ready for work. Sage's icy gaze turned to his younger sister, Yukina, who instantly knew the honor of getting the door had fallen to her and, with one glare at Sage, went into the living room to get the door. From where he was, Sage could hear everything.

"Hi, is Sage here?" It was Mina, which was no surprise to Sage. He had figured that it was either her coming to see him or him to go see her, but the latter hadn't been likely in the first place. She seemed to be the one that wanted answers badly, and so she came to him.

Sage could practically feel his sister's smirk as she sought out her brother, sighing softly before his sister strode into the room. "There's someone here to see you, Sage," she announced cheerfully, her eyes both inquisitive and amused.

Mina waited patiently in the living room for Sage to arrive. She'd told Rowen to stay out in the car and wait for her, but she still wasn't sure how long her task was going to take. When the familiar blond-haired Ronin arrived, she could knew that he knew what she was there for and had been prepared. "Let's step outside, shall we?" Of course, that made his sister even more curious, but she knew as soon as he turned his icy glare onto her that if she tried to follow them, she would live to regret it. Disappointed, she stalked back upstairs and into her room, muttering something about brothers under her breath.

Silently, Mina followed Sage outside, struggling not to hide how nervous she was. Sure, she'd met him before, but that was mostly in dreams. They hadn't really said a word to each other, and she didn't know what to say. Once they were seated on the bench in a grove of sakura trees, they spent a few minutes in a tense silence while Mina struggled for words. Finally, a few minutes later, she spoke.

"What do you know of the Silver Millenium?"

Somewhere deep in Sage's memory, something clicked. He had heard of the Silver Millenium before, but there was a fog surrounding the memory that wouldn't allow him to see it.

"I've heard of it," Sage remarked, his voice devoid of emotion. He seemed like a walking, breathing stone to Mina, who took a deep breath and continued with her questions.

"What do you know of the Gate of Time?"

Again, Sage felt that he knew the answer to that too, but he couldn't quite grasp the memory, which slipped away as if it were water seeping through his fingers. Pursing his lips thoughtfully, his mask breaking, Sage's expression was one of thoughtfulness. Mina held out hope that he would at least recognize the names of the people, places, and things that she was talking about, but she couldn't really tell. Sage's face tended to be like a mask, and just as easily as his mask broke, it slipped right back into place.

"Sounds familiar…"

Sage's answers were non-committal, not telling Mina anything. Frustrated, she clenched her fists, glaring down at her pale hands. "Have you ever heard of Queen Beryl?"

All at once, a rage boiled in Sage and he stood abruptly, his eyes icy and his expression just as cold. "I don't know who the hell this 'Queen Beryl' is!" He glared at Mina who, instead of being surprised, was actually smirking. Very few people that encountered Queen Beryl, whether they remembered or not, were devoid of a deep hatred and rage towards the evil queen that had destroyed everything for everyone. That told her a lot about Sage, whether he knew it or not.

Calming down some, he sat back down, keeping his icy glare on the innocent-looking girl that sat beside him, looking a lot like the cat that ate the canary. "I just have one last question." She paused for a moment while Sage watched her, searching for the green orb, finally pulling it out. "Does this belong to you?"

The look of surprise that passed over his face momentarily was priceless, and Mina smiled. "I'll take that as a yes," she mused with a smile. Sage was quiet for a moment, studying Mina. She was definitely not what he had been expecting. "Where did you get that?" He held her sapphire-blue gaze, watching as her smile widened a bit. "Don't you remember, Sage? You gave this to me, in whatever dream realm we happened to have been in," she replied easily, wondering how she was to put Sage at ease. He was sitting stiffly, absolutely refusing to relax, and she didn't like that any.

"I gave it to you…"

Mina nodded. "Yes, that's right. You gave it to me. I was scared, lonely, and I didn't know what I was doing, and you gave it to me just before you disappeared." She paused for a moment, face red and gazing down at her feet. "And I really appreciate it. You have no idea how much comfort this orb has given me since I came here. I'd never felt so alone in my life, except for when I was in England."

Sage remained silent, staring at the orb with an uncertain expression and his gaze returned to the girl that still surprised him. She felt familiar to him somehow, and he hated the fact that he couldn't place where he knew her from. Mina, on the other hand, was having similar thoughts. "I could've sworn that I recovered all of my memories," she whispered, her sapphire-blue gaze staring off into the distance.

Feeling Sage's gaze on her, she flushed, realizing she had spoken that aloud, but whatever she was going to say was broken off by a loud honk from Rowen's car. Getting to her feet, Mina glanced in his direction. "I have to go." Meeting his gaze, she smiled once more. "Look, I'll be seeing you around, ok?"

Sage watched as she trotted off awkwardly, her broken arm held close to her body by the sling and her long blond hair swaying in the slight breeze as she headed for her cousin's car, blissfully unaware that Sage was watching her, his violet eyes troubled…


	10. Complications Pt 1

Shadows on the Wall

Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sailor Scouts or the Ronin Warriors. The only thing that belongs to me is this story, which I really am proud of!

(**_A/N: Thank you, those who reviewed this story. I LOVE receiving reviews, so thank you very much! At any rate, this story is developing beautifully, wouldn't you say? Things are going to get much more complicated for both Mina and Sage, and that's all I'm going to say! evil grin And no, Sage is not going to kill Mina. That would be rude of me to do that to her. But, things will happen, and I won't say another word. You're all just going to have to read the story and find out what's going to happen._**

_**Again, thank you for reading this story!)**_

Mina was still groggy when she woke the next morning, surprisingly early. Ok, so it was only like ten o'clock in the morning, but with her current schedule, ten o'clock was early.

By the time she made her way into the kitchen, Rowen was already awake, and obviously trying to cook, judging from the smell of burning food wafting in from the kitchen. Apparently, inability to cook ran in the family. Half afraid of how Rowen would react to the whole situation from the night before, Mina hurried into the kitchen and pounced on Rowen, stealing the spatula from him.

"You can't cook any better than I can," she announced gleefully with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

Instead of replying, Rowen snatched the spatula from Mina and stuck his tongue out at her. "So what if I can't cook?" He demanded, looking comical with his hands on his hips with the spatula in hand.

Chuckling, Mina shook her head, secretly relieved that he didn't bring her situation up. She didn't need anymore stress than she already had. "Why bother cooking if you know you can't cook?" She countered with a sly look in her eyes. She went over to the fridge and pulled out microwavable Eggo waffles, watching Rowen's expression become humorously frustrated.

Laughing, she laid a hand on his shoulder. "I was just kidding, Ro." Mina raised her hands defensively as Ro stalked towards her, obviously planning on doing something horrendous, like tickle her. With Rowen, she was never sure what he was going to do. The blond-haired Scout took off at a dead run with Rowen right behind her, but their fun was spoiled when the doorbell rang.

Somehow, Mina had the feeling that she knew who was at the door and that she didn't want to know why they were here. But it was too late. Rowen had already started for the door, and who was Mina to stop him from answering his own door? That wouldn't be very guest-like, that was for sure.

"Hi, is Mina here?"

After muttering his reply, Rowen stuck his head into the living room from behind the wall that separated the hall from the living room. "Mina, there's people here to see you!"

Moving cautiously, Mina went to the front door, smiling as her eyes took in the small group of four girls that stood clustered in front of the doorway. She wasn't surprised by their reaction at all; they were girls after all, and it was perfectly natural for girls to shriek.

"Mina!" They chorused, all hugging her at once. Lita, of course, tugged her r ight off her feet and hugged her. For the next few minutes, there was so much chatter that Mina couldn't really tell who was speaking, but she was deliriously happy that her friends were there that they didn't really care. The only one who didn't seem happy was Rei, who acted as though she didn't want to be there. She looked as though she didn't even want to be there.

"Guys," Mina laughed, prying herself slightly away from them, "why don't you come in? Rowen and I were just making breakfast.."

She was interrupted by shouts of laughter; Mina's inability to cook was almost famous, such as the time she tried to nurse a few of the Scouts back to health. Needless to say, she was quite inept at cooking or anything involving a stove or oven, unless she was supervised by Lita.

After ushering Ami, Lita, Rei, and Serena inside the apartment, Mina had just barely introduced them to Rowen when the doorbell rang. Again, Rowen went to the door, but there were no shouts of greeting, no laughter. As a matter of fact, Mina was sure who it was this time. There was no mistaking that serious energy that surrounded the enigma she knew as Sage.

As the blond Ronin was ushered inside and introduced to the rest of the girls, a tense silence followed his introduction, mostly on Rei's part. She looked as though she were ready to kill someone, as though she didn't trust anyone she met from Toyoma. Obviously, she had seen something in the fire at her grandfather's temple that caused her great distrust of those Mina had met while staying in Toyoma, but Mina would have none of it.

She cleared her throat, wanting to send a message to her friends without alerting Rowen that something was happening. "Girls, Sage and I know each other from somewhere, although we can't remember where."

The cold look Sage sent in her direction could've frozen ice, but Mina ignored it. She saw understanding dawning on the Scouts' faces, even a tiny bit on Rei's, indicating that she was at least interested.

"We appear to have met somewhere before, but neither of us can recall exactly when or where."

All of the girls, Mina included, was surprised when Sage spoke up, also without alerting Rowen to anything, although she was sure the quiet boy regretted it. Rowen was his best friend, after all, and he hated keeping things from him. Mina completely understood that, though.

Rei glared at him with an icy expression, the only one that didn't look at Sage in a new light. "I see," she stated coldly and, for a moment, Mina was sure that the Rei that stood before her now was not the Rei she knew. Sure, Rei tended to be suspicious, but not that suspicious. It was time to steer the subject to a more upbeat one.

"Yea," Mina remarked with a smile. "I saw him at the pool not too long ago and I knew that I'd seen him somewhere before. It was uncanny how that worked out, so we're just racking our brains to find out where we'd met."

Talk about subliminal messages. The Scouts could easily read between the lines and Mina watched as their eyes widened in surprise before the other three turned to Sage. "How exciting!" Ami exclaimed. "Here and I thought we already knew everyone that Mina had known."

All the while, Rowen was starting to become suspicious, but Mina had already known that he was going to be. He was smart, after all. The conversation completely stopped as a loud hiss came from the room Mina had been staying in, much to Mina's dismay. She was sure that something was happening in that room that she didn't want to know about, but she couldn't just leave Artemis in the room.

Quickly, all of them hurried to the room and Mina, being the first one to reach the room, flung the door open so hard that it bounced off the walls a few times. At once, everyone was blinded by the light that emanated from the room, and when it faded seconds later, a man stood there. He had long, white hair that was almost as long as Mina's, if not longer, and his intelligent blue eyes gave him away, along with the moon symbol on his forehead. It was none other than Artemis. Clutching the wall for support, Mina nearly collapsed.

The room was in shambles, Mina's things mixed in with Rowen's as though someone had been going through their things, but what really had Mina nervous was the scratch marks that decorated the wall. They looked exactly like the one on the door from the night before, and Mina groaned aloud, covering her face.

"Mina, is there anything we can do to help?"

Turning to face Lita with tears in her eyes, Mina shook her head. "No," she whispered dejectedly, ignoring Artemis for the moment, although Rowen and Sage were both staring at him uneasily. Still, they said nothing, and that really helped. "There's nothing you can do to help."

There was an uneasy silence for a few minutes before Serena spoke. "I think we'd better be going," she muttered uneasily, seeing the look that Rowen shot at Mina. It told everyone in the room that he had suspected that there was more to the story than what Mina had told him, and the condition of the room she was using confirmed his suspicions. Of course, Rowen was aware that there might be something that she was not going to tell him, under any circumstances, but he wanted to know more than what she'd told him.

Mina didn't accompany her friends to the door, knowing they could see themselves out and that they understood what was happening. She groaned again, wondering how on earth she'd managed to get herself into this mess. Has she really thought that she could keep her secrets with everything that was happening? Somehow, deep in her soul, Mina had known that she couldn't do it. Anyone in their right mind would get suspicious after everything that was happening.

"I shall be on my way now."

Rowen grabbed his friend's arm as he turned to leave, shaking his head. Mina felt her heart sink. He knew that Sage was involved somehow, but what could they tell him? Certainly not the truth; sometimes, a lie was more easily digested than the truth. How could things have gotten so out of hand?

"No, you're staying here until we get this straightened out." From the calm tone of voice Rowen used, Mina knew he was furious, and he had every right to be. After all, her staying there was only getting him into trouble while she was practically sinking in it. She watched as he turned to her, eyes blazing. "We have to talk." Sparing a glance at Sage, Mina sighed, knowing what he was going to say.

"All of us."

Artemis, whom everyone had forgotten in the tension, stepped forward, placing his pale hands reassuringly on Mina's shoulders. Rowen's eyes instantly moved to him, pursing his lips. "And who might you be?"

Artemis, suddenly a gentleman, bowed respectively. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Artemis, Mina's guardian and companion."

Even as she turned Red, Mina was entertaining thoughts of strangling Artemis. He was digging her hole even deeper than she had already dug it, and that wasn't helping any. Rowen, she could tell, was getting more and more suspicious by the minute, and it appeared to her that Sage was studying Artemis closely. One look in his eyes, Mina knew, and they would probably know exactly who he was. There was no mistaking those intelligent blue eyes, or the moon symbol on his forehead. That was a dead give-away.

"Into the living room, all of you," Rowen ordered pointing to the living room even as his eyes swept over his room one last time before following them in….


	11. Complications Pt 2

Shadows on the Wall

Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sailor Scouts or the Ronin Warriors. The only thing that belongs to me is this story, which I really am proud of!

(**_A/N: Thank you, reviewers! Thank you, thank you, thank you!_**

_**HikariAme-**_

_**Thank you! That's the best review I've gotten yet! Ok, I admit, for a while there, I had a plot in mind, but my problem was getting to that particular point. It's hard to fill in the stuff between the beginning and the ending. This is the longest story I've ever done, and I'm so proud of myself! Usually, I lose interest after like the first two chapters or so, but not this one! Anyways, I meant cherry trees! .; I just hear so many different meanings for that word that I get confused! Lol!**_

**_Hopeless romantic _**

_**You're not the only one, believe me! But pairing Mina with Sage is hard work, considering Sage's nature, but I think I might have to go a little OOC for him. Getting him worked up is proving to be difficult. **_

_**Tyria-**_

_**bows Thank you! For a while there, I quit writing because I didn't think that anyone was actually reading my story. Very discouraging for a writer, but I finally decided to keep going anyways. It was well-worth the effort! . I'm really glad to see that I'm keeping people hooked! **_

**_Anyways, I was considering re-doing the last chapter. If you don't like how it turned out, let me know. I can always change it, especially considering I'm not quite sure if that's how I wanted it to turn out. Anyways, things are still up in the air between Mina, Rowen, and Sage. The only way to go is down, right? He he he…_**

**_If anyone has seen Artemis in his human form, then good for you! I've seen a picture of him, Luna, and Diana as humans once, but I never found it again after that. grin I just thought I'd throw that in to make the whole thing worse. Magic is at work here, and it's so exciting! Whoo!) _**

Mina couldn't quite read the expressions on Rowen and Sage's face, and something told her that she wouldn't want to have the ability to read their minds just then. It probably wouldn't be very pretty if she did.

Hearing Artemis snickering beside her, the Scout was again sorely tempted to throttle him. This whole situation was partly his fault, and he seemed to be taking great pride in that fact. The whole thing just wasn't fair, Mina decided. Artemis looked pleased with himself, and it made her see red. Taking a deep breath to steady her frazzled nerves, Mina turned to face Rowen, schooling her own expression so that her emotions could not be read. Three could play that game, she reasoned, but it would be harder for her than it would be for them.

"Mina, why must you insist on solving this problem all by yourself?"

That was Rowen, Mina begrudgingly admitted, always knowing what was going through her mind or what was going through her head.

"I don't need your help, Rowen," Mina replied nonchalantly with a shrug. "I have friends in very high places, and it's not like I'm incapable of handling the situation." She tried her hardest to control her emotions, tears threatening to spill at any moment. Now was certainly not the time to go all emotional, not when she needed to pull herself and her thoughts together.

"Damnit, Mina, I'm your brother!"

The sudden exclamation had both Mina and Sage glancing over at the blue-haired Ronin, Mina's jaw dropping. Unbidden, memories of the both of them ran through their heads unchecked, both of them shocked to the core by his words. The past was finally starting to unravel, and no one knew just how complicated this whole situation was exactly…

"_Mina, come back!"_

_Mina turned back to see her blue-haired brother not too far behind her and tried to increase her pace, which wasn't easy. Her dress was heavy and her high-heeled shoes were difficult to run in, but she managed anyway, not wanting Rowen to catch her so easily. If he was going to catch her, he was going to have to stop her first. _

_Without warning, Rowen tackled his younger sister to the ground, both of them caught in layers of fabric. It took him a bit, but he finally uncovered Mina's face, only to discover that she was shaking with laughter, apparently unhurt by his tackling. Sitting her up, he glared at her mockingly, his long legs crossed on the ground and his stubborn strand of hair falling into his blue eyes._

"_Now, why don't you tell me why you don't want to go to the dance?"_

_Mina sighed, obviously resigned to her fate. "We both know that Father would only start considering marriage offers," she replied uneasily. They both knew that Mina's future was resting on the man that she would marry, while their father cared nothing for love. He wanted Mina to marry for money, but she refused. It was a terribly tense situation, even though Mina was allowed to choose for herself, the King of Venus would pressure his daughter to go his way. _

"_You know that I don't want to end up marrying some obnoxious jerk with lots of money who will just go and find himself a mistress." _

_Mina's eyes were clouded with tears as she stumbled to her feet with Rowen's help, feeling frustrated. "I just can't do that. I don't want a man that will leave me for his mistress. I want someone who will stay with me always."_

_Rowen, who had been listening to his sister's complaints quietly, spoke up. "You know, there are plenty of young knights that would marry you in a heartbeat and do it for love. The only thing that I can promise you, dearest sister, is that I will not allow anyone who would break your heart near you," he promised, crossing an 'X' over his heart. _

"_As for right now, it's time to prepare for your birthday ball." Reaching out, Rowen took Mina's hand in his own. "And I will escort you, my dear lady."_

_Giggling through her tears, Mina quickly wiped them away. "All right, Rowen, I'll do it." She glared at him. "But only if you won't let Father even come near me." She smiled then, looking young again, unburdened by the life of royalty. _

"_I will not leave your side, unless you wish to dance with someone," Rowen vowed with a bow, smiling up at his sister…_

As the prominent memory faded, Mina glanced up at Rowen, tears in her eyes. "Rowen, I'm so sorry!"

She leapt out of her seat and rushed over to where Rowen was sitting, still shocked by the memories that had been repressed when he'd been reborn, and hugged him fiercely. "You have always been my champion, Rowen Hashiba, and I understand that now. You only want to protect me, and I know that, but…"

Mina faltered, not quite sure how to say what she wanted to, but in the end, she didn't have to. Artemis opened his mouth and spoke the words that Mina had wanted to say.

"What my dear girl here is trying to say," he interrupted smoothly, "is that as a Sailor Scout, Mina cannot be safe all the time. Superheroes are always in the middle of the danger, and that has not changed much, except for the fact that the bad guy has targeted her instead of all of the superheroes."

Naturally, he left out the fact that Sage was included in there, but Mina knew that as well as Sage did. Until the enemy was discovered, Rowen would probably be targeted as well, probably as soon as the enemy found out that he was the reincarnated Prince of Venus. To Mina, it wasn't fair that he had to be dragged into the whole situation, but that was life for you. Things were never fair.

Rising from his seat with a graceful air, Sage glanced at Rowen, then Mina. "Perhaps I should go," he suggested softly, but Rowen was quick to stop that. "No way," he announced with a shake of his head. "You're a part of this too and besides, I could use some support."

Suddenly, it felt as though reality itself shifted, throwing the four into a completely different realm. Instead of being dressed in the clothes they had been, they were all in their superhero uniforms, armor for Sage and Rowen, and the Sailor Scout uniform for Mina.

"_**Welcome to my version of Hell**."_


	12. Coveted Prize

Shadows on the Wall

Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sailor Scouts or the Ronin Warriors. The only thing that belongs to me is this story, I regret to say. I own next to nothing, besides the clothes on my back.

(**_A/N: Please forgive me if I don't update as soon as I would like to. I'm preparing to go to college, so yea… Just keep on my case and I'll work as fast as I can._**

_**And thank you, Tyria Sarkin!**_

_**I left that there because I wanted to do a really bad cliffhanger, and I think it worked. And so, in this chapter, you get your first glimpse of the bad guy. And if you could send me a copy of that picture, that would be great! I couldn't find it anywhere! .**_

_**And MoonlightBushido-**_

_**clears throat**_

_**Yes, Mina still does have the orb. She wasn't willing to give it back to him, not to mention the fact that she's going to need it. And don't worry- I won't change Sage too much. He is going to have to admit, even if it is just to himself, that he does have emotions. He's just going to have to live with that fact. . Haha! I loved writing the video game part. I know that Mina is good at video games, and Rowen's the best! I did go back and change the 'Meet at the park' thing. I decided that wasn't what I wanted to do since I liked this better. And thank you! **_

_**I love writing this story as much as you guys like reading it! . Things are looking up for me, but not so good for Mina, Rowen, and Sage. Luckily, Artemis is going to be helping out, now that he can do more than talk the Shadow Demons to death.**_

_**Anyway, here's the next chapter!)**_

As they all whirled, standing back to back just in case, the four saw no one. The place where they had been sent was dark and dreary, not to mention tedious. The least they could do was add something _interesting_, such as fire or something, Mina, now Sailor Venus, mused with a shake of her head.

Feeling her companions' gazes, Sailor Venus turned and caught the scowls on both Rowen and Sage's face, although they were now Halo and Strata. She frowned slightly, shrugging. "I can't help what I wear," she announced wearily, instinctively tugging on her skirt, although it did no good.

"**_Welcome Princess Mina and Prince Rowen,_**" the voice mocked, alerting both Mina and Rowen that the person knew exactly who they had been in the past. To Sailor Venus, that said a lot. "**_Greetings Sage, knight of Jupiter and champion of Princess Mina._**"

All at once, the memories began…

"_Rowen, I'm not sure I want to be here."_

_Clutching her brother's arm like a lifeline, Mina glanced around at all of her suitors uncertainly before catching a glimpse of their father's smirk. He was certainly up to something, she mused. Rowen, for his part, remained calm, his arm becoming numb from his sister's grip. _

"_Mina, I vow, you're going to amputate my arm with that grip of yours." As Mina relaxed her grip, Rowen brushed her hand off his arm, instinctively knowing that she was frightened. "I told you I would watch over you, did I not? I'm not going to break my promise to you."_

_Still, Mina remained fidgety, even as she tried to pretend that there was no one there at her birthday ball that would try to marry her for her money. Unfortunately, she realized with a sinking heart as she gazed out amongst her suitors, there were none that she could see that were any different. With a sigh, she gestured towards the gardens. _

"_Would you take a walk with me, dearest brother?" She asked in a pleading tone of voice, forced to step back so that she could look up at him. _

_With a sigh of his own, Rowen nodded. "As you wish, dear sister, as you wish."_

_As they moved towards the garden, Mina felt some of the anxiety she'd felt leave her and she relaxed, although just a tiny bit. She didn't dare let her guard down, fearing that one of her suitors would attempt to stalk her as she strolled in the garden. Halfway into the garden, where both she and her mother had planted many species of roses, Mina stopped and turned to her brother. "Would you be as so kind to leave me for just a moment?"_

_Nodding, Rowen disappeared into the gardens, close enough to hear if his sister screamed for help, but far enough away to allow for her privacy. _

_Mina spotted her favorite rosebush, the one she and her mother had planted two years before, on her thirteenth birthday. It was a special plant, consisting of white and light pink roses, and it was Mina's absolute favorite. Not caring about her dress, Mina knelt down in the damp earth and inhaled the scent of the roses. This was where she spent many hours agonizing over her father's decision to pressure her into marrying someone that he wanted her to marry, but she had stood steadfast against him and refused to submit to his requests. Of course, he resented her for that, but Mina was beyond caring. All she wanted was to marry for love, but she hadn't found anyone yet, and she still had her father breathing down her neck. _

_As she struggled to snip a bud from the bush, Mina was just about to give up when a hand appeared out of nowhere, snipping it for her. Slowly, not quite sure she wanted to look up, Mina's gaze traveled up until she locked gazes with the stranger, feeling her face turning red even as she did so. _

_Gallantly, he offered her the rose and she gracefully accepted, her face retaining a pretty pink blush_

"_Thank you, kind sir," she managed to say, smitten by this handsome gentleman. As she took the rose in her hand, however, Mina managed to stab herself in the thumb with one of the numerous thorns. Before she had a chance to even remove the glove, the stranger's hand covered hers and a green light covered it. _

_The stinging pain that had accompanied being pricked by the thorn disappeared, and when Mina removed her hand from the knight's, she found that even the blood that had soaked the thumb of her glove was gone. Astonished, she met the stranger's gaze._

"_Thank you!"_

_She pursed her lips as he merely smiled at her, bowing slightly in acknowledgement of her appreciation. Suddenly, she felt shy and unworthy of being seen with such a gentleman, but it would be rude of her to just run off and leave him standing out here in the garden._

"_I-I-I must go," she choked out, turning on her heels and rushing out of the garden as quickly as she could. _

_He merely watched as she disappeared, a ghost of a smile crossing his handsome features. He fully intended on seeing her again, but he just wasn't sure why she was so frightened of him all of a sudden. He had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with his ability to heal…_

Sailor Venus pursed her lips, knowing that wasn't the end of her memories of him. Somehow, she knew that there were far more than that, and her past with him didn't end there. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if she was quite ready for that.

"What's so interesting about my past?" The Scout demanded, hands planted firmly on her hips. "As far as I'm concerned, my past has nothing to do with you, and I won't have you ruining my future."

She looked so brave and determined, standing there and staring into the face of the man that would become her ultimate enemy as he ascended from the darkness above, smirking mischievously.

"What makes you believe that, my dearest Princess? What makes you think that I will not be a part of your future?"

The man's sapphire eyes seemed to light the darkness, illuminating his form. He was cloaked in a black cloak, but as Sailor Venus, Halo, and Strata watched, the cloak fell away, revealing the muscular form of a man that seemed vaguely familiar to all three of them. His long, raven-black hair fell to his knees, and his face seemed almost demonic as he stared at Sailor Venus almost hungrily. He wore a black outfit much like Prince Damien's, and the black aura surrounding him caused Venus to involuntarily take a few steps back, shuddering.

"Do you not remember our engagement, dearest Mina? Do you not remember that you were supposed to marry me?"

His eyes never left her thin form as she trembled before him, but when Halo spoke, he forced his eyes to focus on the warrior that had long been his enemy.

"Why would she want to marry a bastard like you?" He growled in a soft tone of voice, feeling uncharacteristically gallant for this enigmatic girl that had drawn him into a web of mystery. Still, he felt partially responsible for what happened to Mina, and he wasn't about to allow this mysterious stranger lay one hand on her.

The stranger smiled eerily. "She had no choice in the matter," he replied airily, dismissing the question with a wave of his hand. "She was promised to me, and I've come to retrieve the coveted prize that I have both longed and waited for, a prize that has taken a thousand years in coming."

Venus rushed into Strata's arms, trembling uncontrollably. She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze, but she felt his arms tighten around her and, for the first time, the blue-armored warrior spoke.

"If you want her, then you'll have to pry her from my cold, dead grasp," Strata growled, staring at the stranger with his own piercing blue eyes.

The stranger laughed; it sounded cold and heartless, a sound that Venus never wished to hear again as long as she lived. "That really wouldn't take too much effort on my part," he replied casually. "I will have my prize and it will be soon."

His piercing gaze flashed momentarily before the man disappeared into the darkness once more, the sound of his laugh echoing through the darkness as well.

Whimpering slightly, finding that she was barely able to keep herself upright, Venus glanced up, her eyes scanning the darkness for any signs of the man that terrified her so badly. Glancing up, she could see Halo and Strata's sympathetic yet determined gaze. She was not alone in this battle, she thought with a tiny spark of hope lighting her eyes, and she knew that they would do anything they could to help her.

"Let's go home, shall we, sis?"

At Rowen's words, Venus nodded. Reality shifted once more, and the four of them found themselves back in Rowen's living room, which looked the same as it had when they left.

With a sigh of relief, she collapsed in Rowen's arms, squeezing him lightly as she hugged him. "Thank you, Rowen. Thank you so much!"

Neither of them noticed when Sage slipped out the door, but they spent the rest of the night remembering things they had done in their past lives and things they wanted to go together for the rest of their lives…


	13. Intrusion of dreams

(**_I'm sorry this is taking so long to come out! I really don_****_稚 _****_mean to leave you hanging, but I've just been so busy! I was working a full-time job all summer, saving for college and now I'm actually at college with loads of homework. So, if you could just be patient, I'll update as quickly as I can.)_**

"_Mina…"_

_Mina, sitting alone on her bed in an empty apartment, nearly jumped out of her skin as the sound of a rough, gravelly voice called her name from the depths of darkness. Sapphire-blue eyes wide and face pale, Mina took a few deep breaths to calm her ruffled nerves. She wasn't sure where she had heard that voice before, but the Scout was certain that she had._

_Her hand slipped beneath the covers of her bed, where she had taken the liberty of hiding a dagger at Artemis' insistence. Mina's jaw clenched as her fingers tightened around the dagger's handle, the sound of rough laughter grating in her ears. It seemed to be echoing in the room, making it impossible for her to pinpoint the location of its origin._

"_Well, well, well," the grating voice proclaimed from somewhere within the darkness of the room with some amusement, "if it isn't the little princess. Where are your guardians now, Mina? Aren't they here to save you?"_

_It was as if he was taunting her; she was reminded by the tone of her intruder's voice that she was alone. Even Artemis had disappeared, which was unusual. That simple fact frightened Mina more than she cared to admit. She had never really been alone and on her own before, and she was afraid._

"_What's the matter, Princess Mina?" The intruder sneered, amusement at her helplessness evident in his self-confident tone. "Don't you remember who I am?"_

_Mina was caught off-guard as the air suddenly rushed from her lungs, leaving the blond-haired Scout gasping for breath. She choked out a strangled cry as a pair of invisible hands tightened around her throat, her own hands desperately clawing the air around her throat in search of the hands that held her captive. _

_Out of desperation, she reached down and grabbed the dagger, slicing the air around her throat. There was a trail of blood on the dagger when the hands on her throat loosened, then released her throat. Staggering backwards and taking a huge gulp of breath, Mina was caught off-guard as she was suddenly knocked onto her bed, the weight of her attacker pushing her deeper into the mattress._

"_You little-"_

_The intruder's words broke off in surprise as he suddenly flew off of Mina, who glanced up to see Sage standing there, his lips pursed in what Mina took to be annoyance. As his eyes took in the bruises around her neck, his expression intensified to something akin to anger. _

_Before they had a chance to say anything to each other, both were very aware of the danger that presented itself in the room they were standing in. They both understood that it would be very difficult indeed to fight someone that couldn't be seen. _

_Moving deliberately slow, Sage moved over to the bed and helped Mina to her feet, his eyes on her throat. Glancing in the mirror, Mina was dismayed to see the hand-shaped bruises on her neck, a clue as to what had just been happening. She still held the bloody dagger in her hand and, catching his curious gaze, lifted it up, showing him what she had done. _

_Without warning, Sage was suddenly knocked to the floor, his hands up in an effort to ward off whoever or whatever it was he was fighting. Resisting the urge to scream in frustration, Mina grabbed her dagger and sliced the air again, attempting to ward off her unseen enemy._

"_Mina, go!" Sage shouted, his uncovered eye focused on her. "Don't just stand there; go!"_

_Torn between staying there to help and fleeing, all it took to make up her mind was to see the stubborn expression in Sage's single eye. Frightened by the intensity of it, Mina turned and ran out of the room, her slight form fading into the darkness…_

Mina woke with a start, her eyes wide and her whole body trembling. She just couldn't shake the feeling that her 'dream' had been a reality. If that was the case, Sage was in trouble and she didn't know how to help him.

Before she even had a chance to move from her bed, Rowen came rushing into the room, looking tired and disheveled, but completely alert.

"Mina, are you ok?" He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his eyes concerned. "I heard you screaming, so I came in here."

Leaping from the bed, Mina's eyes went misty at the thought of Sage being left to defend himself against her enemy. "Rowen," she gasped, clutching at his shirt, "something's happening with Sage!"

Stunned by her words, but also knowing that his sister/cousin couldn't lie to him, Rowen pursed his lips grimly, watching her quietly for a moment. "Get ready to go," he commanded before rushing out of the room, leaving Mina to get ready.

All she did was throw on a jacket and a pair of sandals before rushing out of the room, meeting Rowen in the living room with Artemis standing beside him. For once, Artemis was silent, a thoughtful expression on his pale face. Silently, the three of them made their way to Rowen's car, each lost in their own thoughts, their expressions solemn and unreadable. The ride to Sage's house was a silent one, and the guilty feeling in Mina's heart became unbearable when she realized that something was very wrong.

Red and blue lights were flashing everywhere as they turned the corner to Sage's house; policemen and medical personnel were everywhere, some of them hurrying into the home. Rowen was in shock as he pulled up onto the curb, his eyes wide as he took in the scene. Ambulance workers were wheeling Sage out of the house while Mina began to sob uncontrollably, reeling with guilt and sorrow.

"Stay with her," Rowen told Artemis before moving over to where Sage's mother stood, tears streaming down her face.

As Sage passed near Mina, she heard him call out her name, sounding as though he were in pain. Stifling a sob, Mina moved closer as the ambulance workers that had been wheeling him out paused. He clasped a weak hand around hers for a moment, a tiny smile tugging at his face before the medical personnel wheeled him over to the ambulance, leaving Mina standing there with tears streaming down her cheeks…


End file.
